Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today sent the a letter to President Bush regarding reports that the White House cut numerous pages from testimony written by Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control before yesterday's Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the impacts of global warming on public health.
(Senator Boxer's letter is attached to this press release as a PDF file; the text is also included below)

 

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October 24, 2007

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President:

Yesterday, at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Dr. Julie Gerberding, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), delivered testimony on the public health implications of global warming. I have learned that the Director's written statement was heavily edited during a review process coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Executive Office of the President. Among the changes made in the written testimony were the removal of several pages of detailed information summarizing scientific studies and reports on the public health impacts of global warming.

The public has a right to all of the facts about global warming and the threat it poses to their families and communities. I am deeply concerned that important scientific and health information was removed from the CDC Director's testimony at the last minute. I write to ask you to ensure that the public receives a full accounting of what occurred during that review process, and who was involved.

Please provide to my office, no later than Monday, October 29, 2007, a copy of all drafts of the CDC Director's testimony sent to the Office of Management and Budget or other offices within the Executive Office of the President or other agencies. Please also provide any records reflecting comments on the draft testimony of any of those entities or officials within or affiliated with the Executive Office of the President or any of the White House Offices (including the Office of the Vice President), or of any other agency, and the names and titles of the persons involved in the review.

If your staff has any questions, please contact Bettina Poirier, Staff Director for the Committee at 202-224-8832.

                                                   Sincerely,

                                                      Barbara Boxer
                                                      Chairman

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